New Music For A New Life

In July of 2000, I started by faith journey as I began attending a church seriously for the first time in my life, Hosanna! in Lakeville. During this first year of seeking and trying to figure out who God really was, I became aware of the local Christian radio station, KTIS 98.5. During one weekend sermon, our pastor recommended that we start filling our heads with worship music throughout the week. I got into my car, tried to find the station and immediately hated it! AUUGH! I couldn’t believe people listened to this stuff. I wanted to turn it back to my country or my pop station, either one would be better than this! I loved music, but just not this new, God-stuff. It was weird.

Over the next few weeks, I kept feeling prompted to turn it back to KTIS and each time I kept it there a little longer. I thought if I just listened to it a little longer, maybe I would get used to it. Well, what happened next threw me into complete shock. God hit me hard and convicted my heart so strongly that now I wasn’t even allowed to move the station OFF of KTIS or listen to any of my old CD’s. WHAT? Each time I tried, I had this incredible weight that seemed to almost scream at me “You’re not allowed to do that anymore!” But, I wanted to listen to MY own CD’s and now I couldn’t It made me mad and confused for quite a while. I wasn’t sure what God was doing and I didn’t even think I was a Christian yet. Why was He talking to me if I really didn’t know Him?

I threw out all of my old CD’s. I couldn’t have them around anymore. It’s not like I listened to any bad lyrics, but there was something about them that now turned me off. I no longer liked my old music and I only liked God’s music. My CD’s were now all worship music. What’s up with that? Talk about throwing a person for a loop.

One year after telling me ‘no more world music,’ I gave my life whole heatedly to following Him. One year after that, God placed me in charge of a worship dance ministry where I still am today (11 years later). Sometimes, we think that God is being ‘mean’ or may be too ‘strict,’ but only He knows what He wants to do IN us and THROUGH us. It took me two years to realize what He was doing with me and why He didn’t want me listening to the ‘world’s music.’ He wanted me wholeheartedly focused on His music so that I would be able to teach and minister to this group of worshipers without reproach.

Though I fought Him for a while, the transition has been very easy and I wouldn’t go back to secular music even if you paid me. To this day, when I’m in control, I have not listened to other radio stations or other CD’s. When I’m in situations when I have to listen to secular music and radio hosts, I’m very appalled by what I hear. It turns my stomach to listen to some of the lyrics. There is so much filth hidden in lyrics.

God will one day turn off all music that is not about Him. I look forward to that day…

Rev 19:22 “The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.”

Is it a sin to listen to secular music? I don’t think so, because it’s not referenced in the Bible. But, I feel that the wisest choice for Christians is to honor God in ALL areas of our lives, which includes what we filter in through our eyes and our ears. We are to remain pure, as Christ is pure. Can we be totally pure if we listen to the same things the world does?

1 John 3:3” And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure.”

Luke 11:34 “Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness.”

2 Cor 6:17 “Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.”

1 John 2:15 “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you.

2 Tim 2:21 “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”

Matt 5:8 “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

1 Peter 2:2 “You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk,”

Phil 1:10 “For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns.

I believe that God created music for Himself. He commands us to sing songs, play instruments, dance, clap, jump, & shout all for His glory only.

Jud 5:3 “”Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel.

1 Chron 6:31-32 “These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.

Ps 33:2 “Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Ps 57:7 “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

Ps 92:1 “…It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,

Ps 95:2 “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Ps 98:4 “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

Ps 98:5 “Make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

Ps 108:1 “…O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.

Ps 144:9 “I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

Ps 147:7 “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.

Ps 149:3 “Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

Is 30:22 “Every stroke the Lord lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as He fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.

Luke 15:25 “”Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

Eph 5:19 “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

God also desires pure, worship songs from our hearts. When our songs are not pure, worship, they are just noise to Him…

Ez 26:13 “I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will be heard no more.

Amos 5:23 “Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

In the end times judgment, all world music will cease from playing:

Rev 19:22 “The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.”